Spring-tire for vehicle-wheels.



S. J. CASEY.

SPRING' TIRE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS.

APPLICATION rILBD APR.5, 1912 Application To dllf'wtm tj concern ,SAMUEL J. CASEY; a States,A and a resident lhave "invented a new andnapraved {spring-Tire for vehicleclear, and iexact' description.

The iiiventio-n'relates to'nietallic springs for tires to `be used .as a substitute for pneu-A matic tubes. 'g i' An object'iof imyiiye'ntion4 isto 'provide' a' tireof the general character referred to, in which the vvariousiiiibers constitute a unit, Vthe elements of which are so formed and arranged as to permit of the unit being quickly `placed withinv the ordin'aiy shoe.

.A further object is to' provide a spring unit for use Wit-hv the ordinary shoe, and so formed and arranged as to co-act with the.

usual vclencher rim and be maintained in l place by said'rim, the clenclier members on t unit.

more particularly explained in the specific description hereinafter to be given.

Reference' is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specil 'licati0n, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vehicle wheel having my improved tire unit, parts being broken away and in section: and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

The vehicle wheel 3 is of ordinary form, comprising a felly 4 and spokes 5, the felly 4 being provided With a rim 6 Of approved form having at the sides the annular clencher members or rings 6a, which in practice may be formed either integrally with the rim 6 or be demountable, both forms being well known. The clencher rings Ga clamp the shoe 7 by engaging the clencher flanges 8. Co-acting with the clencher rings and the shoe, vvand -witliin the -slro'e to actas a substitute for a pneumatic tube, isv my iinprovedunit, the'eleinents -of"w1iich, lin the illustrated example, comprise a"contii"iuous" outer 'iiin 9, semi-circular ini cross section,

` and anv lilnner continuous rim 10, both ot' which are desirablv rigid. The `iifner rim 10 is wedge-shaped. thesides' ll'being beveled;

and converging inward'ly,"and actingfto bear against the inner surfaces Y.of the clencl'ier anges'S of the shoe T; whereby the ('fl'en'clier flanges '8 ofthev shoe will b'e'clanipetl firmly between the cl'eneher rings G and the beveledl sides of the inner'rinil, and int'liiifs way my' improved spring' unit,` it will bessen. is held out the employment of fasteii'iiig iiieans such as bolts, 'screws,`or the'" like. or adventitiou's clamps. Projecting from the inner rim 10 are spaced radial studs 12 in annular series around said rimA 10, and seated on the rim 10 and surrounding the studs 12 radial compression springs 13 are provided, the outer ends of said springs surrounding inwardly projecting radially-disposed studs 14 in line with the studs 12. The studs ll'project .from the inner side of blocks 15 having eyes or hooks 16 at opposite sides, said blocks seating by their outer transversely convexed faces against the concave inner surface of the transversely curved outer'rim 9 of my spring unit. The blocks 15 with their eyes or hooks 1G, constitute links which are connected by tension springs 17, the said links and springs alternating and being'fornied' into a continuous chain, extending annularly within the .rim 9. The blocks 15 are in frictional engagement with the inner surface of the outer rim 9, while the outer surface of said rim is in frictional contact with the inner surface of the shoe v7.

It is obvious that as the wheel rotates the weight is successivegyareceived on the coinpression springs, ,and/ that the independent link blocks 15 and' springs 17 distribute the strain. It will be apparent also that the complete unit may be readily placed within the shoe and quickly removed with less inconvenience than attends even the replacing of an inner pneumatic tube.

To preventI the possibility of creeping, the outer rim 9 may be-coirugated as at 9a, and a similar corrugation 15a formed on the blocks 15, o-r any otherequivalentinter-engagement or roughened contact surface is provided.

an'Y

Having thus-described my invention, I.

claim as newv and desire to lsecureby Letters Patent:

1. In a spring'tre, an inner element extending annularly, compression springs on the said inner element, an outer rim and means extending annularly of the tire outside of the compression springs an comprsing a series of elements connected in chain form, certain *of such elements consist-ing of tension springs interposed between other elements of the chain, and the said other'elements being -interlocked with 4the outer rim.

2. In a spring tire, inner-and outer'rims. interposed compression springs between said rilns, a series of elements Within -the outer rim, said elements` and` the outer rim having inter-engaging serrations on their opposed faces, and a series of springs alternating with said elements and connected therewith.

- 3. A spring unit forI tires, comprising an outer, transversely curved rigid r'im, an in-` ner rigid rim, compression springs bet-Ween the saidrims, and a chain within the inner rim and composed of independent blocks and alternate springs connecting said blocks, the compression springs bearing at their outer ends against the said blocks and pressy a continuons chain consisting` of alternateA ret-ractile springs, and blocks having eyes at the opposite side connected with the ends of the said retractile springs, the said blocks being convexed transversely-'at the outer surface and lying against Vthe innersurface of the outer riin, studs on the said blocks, and compression springs between the said studsV and the annular series of studs on the inner rii'n. t 'l v A In testimony whereof I .have signedv my naine to this specification inthe presence of two 'subscribing Witnesses.

`SAMUEL J. CASEY.

Vitnesses g EDWARD MCALOON, FRAN K MARTIN. 

